School Curriculum Singapore: English, Math, Science, Music, Pop Songs?

The School Bag

School days today?

My grandchildren's satchels (school bags) are heavier than their own weight and when I help to carry them, I suffer backache later.

I wish the authorities would find a solution to this problem. It is burdensome (pun intended) for these poor children with growing bones.

There is one simple solution. Have lockers in the schools where students will be allowed to keep some of their books. Or have a proper time table, where they just bring their books for that day. What we did when we were at school?

Just think of the orthopedic cases in years to come.

The Curriculum: Mathematics

School days have never been a wonderful world for me. Like many students all over, it was a chore getting up early and swallowing bread smeared with butter at 6.30 in the morning.

The whining schoolboy with his satchel 

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school...

Primary school wasn't so bad but secondary school with eight subjects to cope with, was one of the toughest hurdles for me. I hated nearly every subject, especially Mathematics, where I received five dollars from the teacher for making nasty remarks while he was writing out his silly Geometry diagrams on the board.

 

The five stinging finger marks left on my face after the slap taught me never to be rude to Mr. Q. again. The problems he had wasn't Q.E.D. (Quite Easily Done) for me; in fact, his explanations made them worse! But as a person, he was a good man.

The Curriculum: History

The next worst subject to be in class with was History. I love it now but with Mr. K. Junior, who taught the subject, sitting on the teacher's table and dictating his so-called lessons, made me hate it.

"Now turn to page 24. Go down with your ruler to the third paragraph. Underline them all; that's the 1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty. Learn by heart. Next, to page 28, count from line 10 to line 20, now that's..."

On and on he went. History wasn't learning what had happened in the past, but searching for points from G. P. Dartford's A Short History of Malaya (image above) to rote-learn for the examination. 

Goodness, gracious me!!!

Only when I left the school did I realize what History really meant and what a lovely subject it was.

What a Wonderful World Sam Cooke. Many subjects that sound frightening.

The Curriculum: English Language

My English lessons were most enjoyable with another Mr. Q. in his daily outfit that consisted of a white short-sleeved shirt; white short pants; white long socks; black shoes.

"Come here!" he would call me up. "Here, I give you 8 upon 10 again for your Composition! Very good."

Sam Cooke (left) and Bill Haley with the Comets (right) from the 60s and 50s.

The Pop Songs About School Days

Handsome singer and songwriter, Sam Cooke hit the nail on the head when his song Wonderful World was released in 1960. Yes, I first heard it that long ago, one year after leaving school. 

But it wasn't schooldays that were wonderful.

Don't know much about History

Don't know much Biology...

Don't know much about a Science book

Don't know much about the French I took 

But he knew that if his girlfriend loved him, it would be a wonderful world. He carried on to confess about his ignorance for Geography, Trigonometry, Algebra, and the slide-rule. He admitted he wasn't an A student but, "he's trying to be" and hoping to win her love. Yes, who would think of Math at this age? 

Bill Haley and his Comets: ABC Boogie With lyrics. Video by: smvclc. Thank you.

Then there's this hot rock n roll classic by Bill Haley and his Comets called, A B C Boogie (1955), from their album, Rock Around The Clock. And you got to listen to this one because you don't need to leave the building to sweat yourself. No soccer, hockey, high jump or track and field because the teacher comes from Basin Street and teaches with rhythm and ease: 

There're readin', writin' and arithmetic,

Taught to the tune of a licorice stick.

No education is ever complete,

Without a boogie, boogie, boogie beat...

Hey if you're a school teacher, spend time with pop songs and look for stimulating lyrics. 😃. That's how I taught my English lessons.